


Her Gift

by thegizka



Category: Naruto
Genre: Blank Period, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Uzumaki Naruto is a Good Friend, everyone loves and appreciates Sakura, the culmination of a slow burn without much of the slow burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-01
Updated: 2019-04-01
Packaged: 2019-12-30 06:44:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18310283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegizka/pseuds/thegizka
Summary: He knew what she was thinking without her saying it.  He knew every nuance of her expressions, every movement of her body.  He knew Sakura more deeply than he had ever known anyone.  How had he never learned when her birthday was?Written for Sakura Haruno's birthday (March 28).





	Her Gift

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I know, I am posting this several days after her actual birthday. What can I say? It ended up being longer than I anticipated.

Sasuke momentarily panicked when he awoke and couldn’t sense Sakura nearby.  His eyes flew open, sharingan already spinning into hyper-focus, only to notice how neatly her bedding had been rolled beside her pack.  She hadn’t been abducted; she had just risen before him. Just to be sure, he stretched his senses. There she was, chakra tickling the edge of his awareness from the direction of the river.  It wasn’t agitated. She was safe.

 

He lay his head back for a moment and closed his eyes, urging his beating heart to let go of the momentary panic.  It was amazing she had managed to leave camp without him noticing. Usually he slept lightly, ever on alert, always subconsciously aware of the minutest changes around him.  But since Sakura had joined him on his travels, everything had become confused. She put him at his ease somehow, even though he felt so much more tense with her around. In their genin days, he was almost always the first to wake up.  These days, it was a toss up.

 

Sasuke wasn’t used to such deep sleep.  It made him uneasy. He felt less in control when he woke up second, realizing he had been at her mercy for an unknown period of time.  It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Sakura. Perhaps it was that he trusted her too much. She was one of the people who knew him best and who didn’t want anything from him--revenge, proof of his change of heart, his power…  It was refreshing to be with someone who demanded none of those things. She brought him relief in that way. He was so used to being on constant alert that this new ease made him a little uncomfortable.

 

And yet it felt natural.  He had found himself wanting more and more to spend time with her during his brief returns to the village.  Even if he was only stopping over for the night to make a brief report to the Hokage, his path always drifted by her apartment.  It became harder and harder to say goodbye to her. So when she met him at the village gate early one morning with her pack and a determined look on her face, he couldn’t say no.  It felt fitting, the natural progression of their time spent together.

 

He sighed and forced himself to rise.  He had already spent hours trying to work out the nature of their relationship.  Even before she joined him on his wanderings, he found her drifting through his mind.  He had reconciled himself to his destiny being entangled with Naruto’s, but it had taken longer to realize it was united with hers, too.  As he contemplated who he was and who he wanted to be--not what everyone tried to make him, not what they expected him to be--he found her in his mind and memories.  She had believed in him despite every twist and turn he took. But he couldn’t work out why, or how, or what exactly that meant to him. It was important. It was confusing.  It made him feel conflicted, just like Naruto’s unbending friendship. But she was different from Naruto, and her trust meant something else.

 

She had given him her heart, and no matter how many times he had kicked it back to her or tried throwing it in the dirt, she still gave it to him.  It was a burden, but it was also a gift. He had ignored it for years, had hoped she would forget her schoolgirl crush and let him be, let him pursue his vengeance in peace.  But like Naruto, he just couldn’t shake her. It both saved him and nearly drove him away again.

 

He began rolling up his bedding.  He used to simply sleep in his cloak propped against a tree or the entrance of a cave, but Sakura joining him somehow required a more formal style of camping.  He was glad he currently had the campsite to himself so she wouldn’t watch him fumbling to roll up his bedding with one arm. He was less self-conscious about his lack of limb than he used to be, having adapted to its absence, but there was still awkwardness at times.  He always felt more awkward with Sakura around. He sometimes caught the look on her face when she thought he couldn’t see (though there were few things that could hide from his eyes), the lingering gaze on where his arm used to be, the twist of pity and the pain of love and something else--guilt? Though she had nothing to be guilty of.  Yet she refrained from offering him help, respecting his pride, hiding her feelings behind a glowing smile when he looked at her fully.

 

Travelling together was a study of each other and themselves.  They had gotten re-acquainted the few years after the war when he drifted into her orbit between his wanderings.  She had surprised him with her maturity, her emotional perceptiveness, her intuitive understanding and respect for his boundaries.  She was so different from the annoying fangirl she used to be. But she was definitely the same Sakura, with the same determination and temper and strength and beauty.

 

He could forget how beautiful she was when all he had was his memory, but it would pounce on him in the strangest moments.  He would notice how smooth the skin on the back of her hands looked as she tied her pack. He would wonder at the color of her eyes--the green of spring grass in the sunlight, the teal of sea waves in the rain, the dapple of deep forest leaves reflecting the moon…  Her hair tangled his thoughts, the way it brushed her cheek as she rested her chin on her knees, how it darkened to a terra cotta color when wet, the inexplicable urge it brewed in him to run it between his fingers. He had never felt this before, the strange desire to touch another human, to feel the warmth beneath her soft skin and smell the scent of life in her neck.  These strange impulses alarmed him. It was another way she challenged his control.

 

He satisfied himself with memorizing her chakra.  It was comforting to feel it swirling strongly beside him as they walked.  She had always had better control than him. Even when she was angry, it only spiked a little.  She was a steadiness he had never found in himself. There were times when she would use her medical ninjutsu to help in the villages they passed through, to bring comfort and to repair the broken in ways Sasuke couldn’t for all his desire to atone.  He caught glimpses of her power then as she healed one after another tirelessly, endlessly, never turning away until everyone who sought care received it, no matter how tired she became or how low her chakra must be. She endured and sustained, just as her love had endured.

 

He had finished with his pack and was contemplating breakfast when he felt her chakra coming nearer.  She was humming to herself. It made him smile. He was used to silence, but her absent-minded singing was welcome.  It was a reminder that she was here with him, and that was a comfort.

 

“Good morning Sasuke-kun,” she greeted, towelling her hair dry.  She must have bathed this morning. He wanted to help her comb through her tangles, but she was fully capable of doing it herself.

 

“Good morning,” he greeted instead.  “You seem in a good mood.”

 

“I am,” she hummed, searching for her comb in her bag.  He knew it was in the outside right pocket. She had a habit of putting it away somewhere new each time, so it always took her a moment to find it.  It was a strange quirk for someone normally so organized.

 

“The water in the river is beautiful,” she continued.  “It’s clear and not unbearably cold. I found it very refreshing.”  She stood and stretched appreciatively before beginning to comb out the snarls.  “You can bathe if you want. I don’t mind taking it slow this morning. Unless, of course, there’s some place you need to be today.”

 

“I’m not expected in the next stop for another two days.  We have time.”

 

“Great.”  She smiled, and it was so genuine and happy that it tickled his heart.  “I’ll prepare breakfast while you bathe. Any requests?”

 

“Whatever you think best.”  He hadn’t actually confirmed that he wanted to bathe, but she was already poking through their food supplies, humming to herself again. A bath in the river would be refreshing.  He gathered a clean change of clothes and a towel before heading down to the water.

 

He was more self-conscious bathing when he knew Sakura was in the area.  He knew she would never try and sneak a peek at him, just as he would never violate her trust that way.  That was more Naruto’s and Kakashi’s vice. But just knowing she was near made him hyper-aware of himself and his surroundings.  And he was finding more and more that being away from her made him miss...something.

 

She was right; the river was refreshing and clean.  It felt good to scrub away the days of travel in the waves and morning sunlight.  But he did not allow himself to take the time to soak in the freshness of the day.  Sakura was making breakfast. He did not like the idea of her waiting for him.

 

When he returned, damp hair cascading across his face in tendrils, she had prepared a pair of buns, some cheese, thin slices of cured meat, and tomatoes.  It was simple travel food. Sasuke had noticed their meals included tomatoes a lot lately. He wasn’t complaining.

 

But Sakura wasn’t alone.  She was gently stroking the head of a large messenger hawk as it picked at some of the meat she offered it.  The scrolls--there were two--were still attached to its back, so it must have just arrived. He could see the Konoha emblem on the seal, and his heart sank.  He hadn’t realized he was looking forward to a relaxing morning with Sakura, but news from the village almost always meant an urgent mission.

 

“It’s Jinsoku, one of Naruto’s hawks,” she explained.  This allayed some of his worry. If that idiot was using his personal hawk, the news was less likely to be life-or-death urgent.  Still, neither he nor Sakura had replied to their teammate’s most recent letter yet. He must have something important to share if he couldn’t wait for their normal correspondence.

 

Sakura, however, seemed completely unperturbed.

 

“You’ve got a leaf in your hair,” she giggled, reaching for it.  Normally Sasuke would instinctively flinch away, but he held still as she casually dragged it from his hair.  “Your bangs are getting long.”

 

He shrugged.  He didn’t mind his hair long.  It hid his rinnegan better. People were less scared--and less confrontational--when they couldn’t see his left eye.

 

She took the scrolls from the bird and whispered something to it.  It flew to a branch in a nearby tree and perched there, watching them with intelligent, dark eyes.

 

“Here.”  Sakura tossed him one of the scrolls.   _ Teme  _ was scrawled in Naruto’s messy hand on the outside.  He rolled his eyes. His friend was probably never going to grow up.

 

He sat down beside Sakura, who was digging into her breakfast.  Her hair was already dry, the ends flipping outward slightly. Hers was getting long, too.  He decided he liked it. She looked good in any hairstyle she wore.

 

“So if we’re not needed at the next destination for another two days, what are we going to do today?” she asked.

 

“Well, it’ll probably depend on whatever’s in these scrolls.”

 

“Oh, I don’t think it’s anything important, Sasuke-kun,” she hummed.  He shot her a questioning look, but she was too busy choosing another slice of cheese to notice.  She seemed to have an idea of the scrolls’ contents already.

 

“There’s supposed to be a willow grove around here somewhere,” she continued.  “I could use some more willow bark for my medical supplies, if you wouldn’t mind helping me find it.”

 

“Sure, that sounds fine.”

  
  


She shot him a bright smile in thanks.  It was brief, but Sasuke felt the corner of his own mouth curve upward in response.  He liked seeing her happy. This would also be a great opportunity to watch her work.  He was fascinated by her medical ninjutsu and endless knowledge of remedies. She was so sure of herself when she explained how certain plants affected human bodies.  Her confidence was beautiful.

 

They wrapped up what they didn’t eat of the cheese and meat, but Sasuke finished the last slices of tomato while Sakura unfurled the first portion of her scroll.  He could see it was covered in dense writing even without his sharingan.

 

“Is that a jutsu formula?” he asked, noticing the careful diagram at the forefront of the writing.  She nodded.

 

“Tenten’s work, by the look of it.  It’s too neat for Naruto and not stylistic enough for Sai.”

 

“Supplies?”

 

She shrugged and lay the paper on the ground in front of her, smoothing its surface.  Making the required hand signs and channeling her chakra, she summoned whatever had been locked behind the brushstrokes.  It was a strange assortment of items, some supplies--fresh fruit and tea, a few vials of medicine, a knife that was something between a kunai and a scalpel--and some random things--a bouquet of pink and white flowers, a bar of soap, a painted clay bird, and a paper fan.  There were a few small boxes, too, some wrapped in ribbons, most with Sakura’s name written in different hands.

 

“Sasuke-kun, look!  Aw, they didn’t have to…”  She smiled delightedly, face diffused with joy and love as she looked at the odd pile of things.  He was still a bit confused as to the purpose of the scroll and its contents, but she looked so pleased as she inspected the goods that he didn’t want to ask and change her expression.  Instead he read his own scroll.

 

_ It’s Sakura-chan’s birthday today so you’d better not make her upset.  We both know she’s endured enough of that. But you don’t need to worry too much about making her happy, either.  She’s been happier since travelling with you than she has been in a while. Just..don’t be too careful. You’ve both done enough waiting, and I’m getting tired of waiting for both of you!  Don’t mess it up, teme. _

 

He usually read through Naruto’s correspondences twice, once to acclimate to his friend’s ill-formed handwriting, and another to confirm the contents of the message.  He read this scroll through a third time for good measure, but the brief bit of clarity was still followed by unsurety. It was her birthday, which helped to explain her cheerfulness and the assortment of what must be gifts from her friends and family in Konoha.  But what was Naruto trying to say in his note? And why did it make him feel so nervous?

 

He studied her as she investigate the little boxes, smiling and giggling and gasping at each surprise.  It was her birthday. How had he not known it was her birthday? He was normally hyper-observant of every nuance in her expression and body language.  He could chart the miniscule changes in her eyes as her thoughts transitioned. He knew who she was and how she would move every moment they were together, but it seemed there was a lot of the truth of Sakura Haruno that he did not know.  He felt at once ashamed--he should have known when her birthday was, surely--and intrigued--how much more was there to learn?

 

He cleaned up their campsite while she arranged her new belongings in her pack.  Her loved ones in Konoha had been conscious of the circumstances of their travels, only giving her small trinkets or practical items.  But the number of gifts was evidence of the love she had left behind. So many people had sent her something, had wanted to make her day special even though they were separated by miles.  She could have been home in Konoha with them, yet she had chosen to be in the middle of nowhere with him. And he hadn’t known about her birthday at all. He felt guilty for being the cause of the distance between her and the others, but he remembered that she had chosen to be here with him, and that was humbling.

 

“Sasuke-kun,” she said, and he felt strange and warm when she said his name, “I don’t think I’ll be able to fit everything in my pack.  Would you mind carrying a few things for me?”

 

She looked at him sheepishly, embarrassed.  She did not understand how this was a gift, to have her trust and be entrusted with something of hers.  It was a light burden compared to the weight of her love. He would carry both willingly.

 

They set out to look for the willow grove, following close to the river.  She read her scroll as they walked and shared news from their friends and the village with him.

 

“Hinata’s making sure Naruto eats more vegetables, but they still go out for ramen at least twice a week.”

 

“That’s an improvement for him.”

 

She laughed.  He felt good when she laughed, especially when it was in reaction to him.

 

“Kakashi-sensei wants me to remind you to relax once in a while.  Shikamaru says Sensei’s relaxing too much and wishes he would take his paperwork more seriously, which is rich coming from such a lazy guy.”

 

“Kakashi’s always been late with things.”

 

“Yes, but one would think becoming Hokage would’ve helped his task management.  I guess some things just never change.’

 

“Hn.”

 

“Tenten sent some new smoke bombs she’s been developing and wants feedback when we use them.  And Lee has a girlfriend! Aw, she sounds really sweet. And he sounds serious about her. I bet they’re really cute together.”

 

Sasuke thought of the gangly shinobi with his thick eyebrows and green body suit.  The word “cute” did not come to mind.

 

“Lady Tsunade is pouting about me not being around to help at the hospital, but Shizune says everything is running smoothly.  And look, Tonton even signed the scroll,” she giggled. To him, it looked like the pig had merely walked across the paper before the ink had dried, smudging some of the characters and leaving ill-formed hoofprints in her wake.

 

“Captain Yamato says hi.  He’s been working with some of the neighboring lands to figure out a plan to help regrow some of the forests and habitats that were destroyed during the war, but it’s slow going.”

 

“Trees do take years to grow.”

 

“I think it’s more the diplomacy that’s tying things up.”

 

She read the next bit in silence, eyebrows drawing low over her eyes.  From the slant of the writing, he guessed this portion was from her mother.  He had caught glimpses of her previous letters when Sakura pulled them out in camp to write her replies.  He had gotten the impression that she didn’t altogether approve of her daughter’s decision to roam the country with an ex-rogue shinobi, but for the most part she trusted Sakura to make her own decisions.  Sasuke wondered what it was like to shoulder a mother’s disapproval. His own had died before she could witness his wrong decisions. He often wondered what she would think of him now.

 

Suddenly Sakura shrieked, breaking the relative peace of the morning.  Without thinking, Sasuke’s body moved, hand reaching for the sword concealed beneath his cloak, pivoting so he could watch Sakura’s back while his shoulder shielded her front.  His sharingan and rinnegan scanned their surroundings for the threat, whole body tense and on alert.

 

“Ino’s pregnant!” she shrieked, not yet aware of his reaction.  When she looked up to share her excitement, her breath brushed against his cheek.  “Oh,” she said softly, and the joy on her face changed to surprise. Her enthusiasm softened.  “Sasuke-kun,” she breathed, and suddenly they were much too close and his senses were much too heightened.  Without a word, he turned away so he could not see her, yet he knew her so well that he could picture what she looked like standing behind him, eyes wide, totally still.  He could feel her understanding, her shame at having worried him, her desire to reach out and know that he was okay. Even when he wanted her to, she did not, always respecting his boundaries, always waiting.   _ Waiting _ .  Was this what Naruto had meant?  They were always stopping before they broke any boundaries, before they moved out of the well-worn circles of friendship into...what?

 

“I’m sorry, Sasuke-kun.”

 

He turned to look at her over his shoulder.  She was standing where she had been, but she was relaxed.  She looked at him with a softness that scared him. It wasn’t pity--never pity--but something deeper and more dangerous.  Understanding. She could read his very soul, and regardless of the dark there that shadowed him, she loved it.

 

“It’s fine,” he said, turning away, unable to bear that gaze.  He wanted to tell her not to feel bad, that he was the broken one, always quick to believe in danger, and it was not her responsibility to fix him.  But she already knew, and she wanted to help if she could. It was another gift she gave him.

 

“So Ino is pregnant?” he repeated, taking a step forward, ready to move on.  He was reassured when she moved forward with him, walking by his side again and inspecting her scroll.

 

“Yes!”  The excitement was back in her voice.  “It’s pretty early still, but she’s sure, and Shizune says everything looks right.  She and Sai have only been married a couple of months. I would’ve thought they’d take more time to settle into marriage, but I probably shouldn’t be surprised.  When Ino wants something, she gets it. Except you, of course.”

 

He raised an eyebrow at her.  She was teasing him for his hordes of fangirls in his youth.  He was kind enough not to remind her that she had been one of those fangirls.  He was curious to know who she thought  _ had _ won in the race to claim him, but she was already talking again.

 

“I would’ve expected Naruto and Hinata to have a baby on the way by now, since they can’t seem to keep away from each other.  Hinata isn’t one to rush things, though, and Naruto is totally at her mercy. Oh! I just realized, that’s all of Team Ten who are expecting.  I bet Ino’s happy about that.”

 

Sakura continued musing about their friends while Sasuke tried to process the fact that they were starting their own families.  His classmates and comrades were going to be parents. The idea of his own family, the next generation of Uchiha, worried him. He was always at war with himself whether to be ashamed or proud of his name.  There were times when he felt the responsibility of defining it and the legacy he wanted to build for the future. There were days when he thought it might be better to let the name die, but his love for his brother and the love of his friends wouldn’t let him.  Still, he pitied the children he would bring into this world who would bear the burden of his name.

 

He glanced at Sakura beside him.  She had gone back to reading the scroll to herself, humming absentmindedly.  He wondered how often she thought about her future family and whether she recognized what a burden his name might be for her.  He found himself with a monopoly on her love, but did she understand what a life with him would mean for their children?

 

Did he dare think of sharing his future family with Sakura?

 

“Sasuke-kun look!”  Her happy voice broke into his thoughts.  “I bet that’s the willow grove we’re looking for.”

 

It was a large cluster of trees around a small cove.  The tendrils of leaves brushed along the ground like the hair of giants buried to their shoulders in the earth.  The water swirled quietly in the cove, kissing the roots of a few trees exposed in the riverbank. It was a peaceful place.

 

“Come on,” Sakura invited, rolling up her scroll and jogging towards the trees.  He allowed himself to be caught in her wake, following as she disappeared into the curtains of leaves, eager to keep her pink hair in his sight.

 

There were seven large willows whose branches and trunks were bent and thick with age.  A scattering of younger trees filled in the rest of the grove, though patches of lush grass carpeted the areas where sufficient sunlight managed to dodge their trailing branches.  He watched as Sakura inspected some of the younger trees, ducking between light and shadow to run her fingertips along their trunks and press her nose to the bark.

 

“Sometimes the bark on the older trees is too tough,” she explained, “but you also have to be careful that the tree you’re harvesting from isn’t underdeveloped.  It has to be able to recover from the shock of losing some of its protective skin.”

 

He listened attentively, studying her movement as though he were one of her students.  He noted the way she delicately sliced off strips of bark, learning what to look for as she explained how to gauge its medicinal worth.  He studied her technique for applying a type of organic glue and protective mesh to the tree afterwards so it could heal and be protected from infection.  Then he tried his own hand at it, following her instructions with care, attempting to channel her desire to heal and help through his own fingers. He wanted to do a good job because it would help her.  It would be a tiny way to repay her for all she did to help him.

 

“Thank you Sasuke-kun, these will be great.”  She smiled warmly as he handed her the bark, carefully rolled and tied into small packets for easy storage and use.  He felt pleased that she approved of his work and slightly relieved that he had managed to not disappoint her.

 

They had lunch in the willow grove.  They shared some of the fruit Hinata had sent and some dumplings from her parents.  They were quiet as they ate. Distant birdsong drifted on the breeze, nearly drowned by the quiet whispers of the willow leaves and the hum of the river.

 

“It’s so peaceful here,” she sighed, weaving together strands of her pink hair so it formed a sort of crown.  He watched her dexterous fingers, amazed at how deftly they worked through her hair, gathering and tucking it neatly.  Then she began pulling apart he bouquet and incorporating the flowers into her crown. They had been a gift from Ino. He thought a gift that would fade and die in a few days was in poor taste, but Sakura seemed quite happy with the blooms.  He knew kunoichi often communicated with flowers, but he had never bothered to learn their meanings.

 

She wasn’t as adept at weaving the flowers through her hair.  He suspected that not being able to see what she was doing posed a challenge for her.  Her eyebrows knit in concentration as she tried to visualize her hair and her hands and the flowers.

 

“May I?” he asked before he could think it all the way through.  He reached timidly for the flower in her hand, and though she looked surprised, she let him take it.  He wasn’t sure what he thought he could accomplish with only one hand and next to no knowledge of hairstyling.  He was glad she had to sit with her back to him so she wouldn’t see the perplexity shaping his face.

 

He set to work, trying to be careful not to bruise the delicate petals or undo her hair.  It was tricky to work with his calloused fingers, thicker than her own, but he was committed.  He didn’t want to disappoint her in this, either. When he finished with one flower, he moved on to the next, incorporating pink orchids, white daisies, and huge pink peonies into the crown.  Her hair was smooth under his fingertips, soft and sleek and beautiful. He wondered if it was her hair that smelled so sweet or merely the bouquet tangling with his senses.

 

“I think that’s all I can do,” he admitted after several minutes of diligent work.  She reached her hands up to gently pat at her head, trying to visualize the halo of flowers now framing her face.

 

“Thank you Sasuke-kun,” she said, turning to him with a bright smile.  Her cheeks were a little pink, probably from excitement. They matched the flowers.  He wasn’t sure why, but he was struck again by her beauty--sparkling green eyes, sunset pink hair, and soft skin.  She was a flower among flowers, a treasured bloom.

 

“There are a few left over,” he observed, incapable of holding her gaze, eyes unable to handle the sight of something so special.

 

“Hm.”  She picked up the two orchids and large white chrysanthemum, twirling the stems thoughtfully in her hands.  Then she reached towards him, and her hands were in his hair. Sasuke froze, watching her face as she focused on what she was doing, the seriousness of her expression.  It was strange, having someone else messing with her hair. Strange, but not uncomfortable, because it was Sakura.

 

“There.”  She sat back on her heels, hands now free of both his hair and the flowers.  He raised his hand to feel the blooms now tucked into his hair. He couldn’t picture it, but Sakura looked pleased.

 

“Thanks.”

 

She hummed happily in reply.

 

“Now that you’ve got more willow bark, what do you want to do?”

 

“Can we stay here for the rest of the day?  It’s just so nice here.”

 

He smiled a little to himself.

 

“That would be fine.”

 

It would mean an early day tomorrow to get to their destination on time, but they could afford to relax today.  It was her birthday, after all.

 

“Thank you, Sasuke-kun,” she said softly.  She leaned back on her arms, closing her eyes and leaning her head back to drink in the early afternoon atmosphere.  There was a wisp of pink hair loose, tickling her cheekbone. He wondered if he had knocked it loose lacing her updo with flowers, or if it was one of those stubborn bits that didn’t like to cooperate.  He had a cowlick near the back of his head that didn’t like to lay flat. It was one of the reasons he wore his hair as he did.

 

He touched the flowers in his hair again.  For the longest time no one had dared touch him without his permission.  And now he was wearing flowers in his hair. He didn’t even mind. She had a strange sort of magic over him.  Sakura tended to take his world and dismantle all of its boundaries, and she did it so innocently that it didn’t matter.

 

“Would you like fish for dinner?”

 

“Hm?”  She cracked open an eye to look at him.  He gestured to the river.

 

“I could catch some for dinner tonight.”

 

“Sure, that’d be nice.  But before you go fishing, I’ll race you to the top of that tree.”

 

In a blink, she was up and racing to the tallest willow.  Sasuke was a step behind her, grinning. They had raced to climb trees before, many years ago when they had been younger and more carefree.  She had been way ahead of him and Naruto in chakra control, and he had been much too proud to tell her how impressed he was. But he had improved a lot since then.

 

The race soon became a game of tag instead.  They wove between the tree branches, trusting their agility and balance to keep from falling.  Laughter followed them between the trees, along with shrieks and shouts as they dodged some close calls.  They easily could have caught one another if they used some of their jutsus, but they kept it strictly to chakra control and flexibility.  It was like that time when they were genin all over again. For one afternoon, they had nothing to worry about. It was merely the sun and the trees and their breaths and each other.  It was marvelous.

 

And it came to an end with Sakura laughing and gasping for breath, sitting down on the highest safe branch of the tree.

 

“Truce,” she gasped, straddling the branch and leaning against the trunk.  He nodded and sat near her on the branch, panting and chuckling. This had been fun, exerting his energy for something other than retribution and missions.  It was refreshing.

 

They sat there in the treetop, catching their breaths and looking at each other.  A few more tendrils of pink hair had escaped Sakura’s updo, but it had weathered the excitement well.  He wondered if his own flowers had survived. They simply looked at each other in this moment where the world was stripped away and their worries cast aside.  It was an honest moment between them, no pretences, just the joy of life and each other’s company.

 

They spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing together.  Sasuke fished, and Sakura wrote letters to their friends back home.  He snuck glances at her lying in the grass on her stomach beside him.  He noted the contours of her back, the curve of her lips, the way she held the brush, the unique way she wrote the characters…  These were the myriad details of Sakura Haruno, and he wanted to know them all intimately. It was a wonder he had enough focus after studying her to catch fish.

 

Dinner was pleasant.  He managed to snag a few fish which they grilled over their fire.  They also had some rice leftover from their travel supply, and Sakura gathered a few wild vegetables in the area to round out their meal.  They finished with some sake that Tsunade had sent for her pupil’s birthday.

 

“Anything else you want to tell Naruto before I send this off?” she asked, completing the final character on her letter to their friend.  He took the brush from her and scrawled a note. His handwriting looked so much less refined next to hers. At least it was legible.

 

“Sasuke,” she groaned when she read what he’d put down.  “‘Stop worrying about me and get your own love life together.’  What do you mean? He’s already happily married.”

 

“But they don’t have any kids yet.  You even said how unexpected that was.”

 

She rolled her eyes and wrapped up the scroll, signaling to Jinsoku.  The hawk had followed them all day and been relaxing in the trees while they went about their business.  She strapped the scrolls she had written into the carrier on its back, stroking its neck and whispering instructions in its ear.   With a mighty flap of its wings, it rose again and flew off into the evening.

 

Sasuke took another sip of sake.  The grove was as peaceful now as it had been earlier, the crackling of the fire in front of them the only addition to the soft sounds of the leaves and the river.  It really was a lovely place. He had started noticing and appreciating the landscapes he travelled through when Sakura joined him. She was always eager to point out some interesting flowers or an awe-inspiring rock formation.  He wondered how much of his new appreciation for their surroundings was due to the new company he was keeping.

 

He looked at her, skin glowing from the fire, flowers starting to wilt in her hair.  She had made everything better when she decided to join him. Some things were more challenging, of course, and there were times he was afraid of the love and understanding she held for him.  But everything,  _ everything _ was better with her around.  And he suddenly, desperately needed her to know that.

 

“Sakura,” he said softly, and when she turned, he was there, nose mere inches from hers, his hand on her cheek.  It was warm from the fire and the blush creeping onto her face. He wanted to freeze time here, to take in every detail of her wide eyes and lips parted in surprise, to count every hair that had fallen out of place.  Part of him was also panicking, telling him to pull back, overwhelmed by their proximity. He could feel her breath on his lips. He could smell the flowers in her hair.

 

But Naruto was right.  She had waited long enough.  And Sasuke didn’t want to wait anymore, either.

 

The kiss was simple and chaste.  It was the press of warm lips, her quick intake of surprised breath through her nose, and the tingle of his fingertips on her skin.  But it was also fire and flood, something new and long-anticipated, the mingling of their worlds and feelings and the intertwining of their souls.  It was natural and frightening. It was right.

 

They broke apart after a moment that felt simultaneously like eternity and a mere second.  And suddenly Sasuke felt too close to her again, consumed by the rising panic of having walked to the edge of their usual dynamic and suddenly realizing he had left the habitual boundary far behind.  He had overstepped. He had ruined what they had. He turned away.

 

But he couldn’t, because her hand was on his cheek now, too.

 

“Sasuke-kun,” she whispered, and he saw her very soul in her eyes.  All of the love she had held in for years, the depth of her understanding, everything that he was to her looked back at him.  She demanded nothing but the truth, and he felt the truth in the contact of their skin and the memory of her lips. She had broken the boundaries of his world again, and it was okay because she was walking with him towards the new horizon, moving forward at his side.

 

And Sasuke knew that they would walk together for the rest of their lives.

 

“Happy birthday, Sakura.”


End file.
